If you've had hip replacement surgery or are planning a procedure, knowing what to expect as you recover and rehabilitate after surgery is important. After all, these are major surgeries, and recovery is not an easy process. Having realistic expectations as you work through that process can prevent you from getting discouraged or frustrated along the way, which can be an impediment to making your best recovery. One of the more important things to know going in is just how long that process will take, so here, we’ll look into how long you can expect short term rehab to take after hip replacement surgery.

Why Short Term Rehab After Hip Replacement Surgery?

Short term rehab is often recommended after hip replacement surgery to help ensure the best possible patient outcomes. That means helping patients to achieve their best possible level of physical function, pain reduction, medical recovery and independence as quickly and safely as possible. Inpatient short term rehab programs offer an optimal environment for meeting those goals, offering intensive rehabilitative therapy and treatment and around the clock assistance and care to patients – a level of care that is not available in an outpatient or home-based therapy environment.

How Long is the Average Stay in Short Term Rehab After Hip Replacement?

It is important to understand that the time it takes to successfully complete a short term rehab program after a hip replacement procedure varies widely from one patient to another. Factors like the type of procedure, age, general health, and many others influence the length of stay needed to ensure the best possible recovery and rehabilitation results. That being said, research shows that the average length of stay in inpatient short term rehab programs after a hip replacement procedure is 9 to 10 days.

How Will Your Length of Stay Be Determined?

When you are admitted to short term rehab, one of the first things you can look forward to is a thorough evaluation of your current condition and capabilities, as well as your rehabilitation and recovery goals. This evaluation will be performed by a physician-led and multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation professionals, which will be made up of rehabilitation doctors and nurses, orthopedic and pain management specialists, physical, occupational and speech therapists, care coordinators, nutritionists and others, according your your personal needs.

Once your needs and goals have been identified in detail via this evaluation, that information will be used to form an intensive and comprehensive treatment plan to suit your individual needs. At this point, your rehab team should be able to give you an idea as to how long you can expect to take in meeting your rehab and recovery goals. As you and your team work your treatment plan, progress toward your goals will be continually monitored and your treatment and therapy plan adjusted to help ensure that you are making steady, timely progress toward recovery and rehabilitation – and further define when you can expect to meet your goals and return home.